An Arizona grand jury charged two people for defrauding the state’s school voucher program by submitting applications for dozens of children who did not exist.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Monday that Johnny Bowers and Ashley Hewitt were charged with 60 counts of forgery and fraud for allegedly exploiting the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program, which provides public funds for students to spend on private school expenses.
The defendants allegedly applied for ESAs for 43 “ghost” children and earned up to $110,000 from the state program to spend on personal costs while residing in Colorado, according to the AG’s office. The offenses reportedly occurred between 2022 and 2024, according to the charge.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne expressed his satisfaction that prosecutions are proceeding in the cases his department sent to Mayes on Monday.
In recent years, school vouchers have become a contentious subject in Arizona, dividing Democrats and Republicans.
Mayes, a Democrat, has been openly critical of the ESA program, claiming a lack of safeguards over public funding. Republican leaders in Arizona have supported the expansion of the voucher program, asserting that it has enhanced parental control over their children’s education.